$265M approved for water infrastructure improvement projects across New York

Millions of dollars in financial assistance is on the way for statewide water infrastructure improvement projects, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office announced Thursday. 

This comes after the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) Board of Directors approved $265 million in grants and financings from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, and grants already announced under the Water Infrastructure Improvement program.

“Improving our water infrastructure is essential for building safe and healthy New York communities,” Hochul said in a statement. “This financial assistance makes all the difference in being able to provide safe drinking water to New Yorkers, protect our natural resources, and ensure the projects are successful and affordable.”

The funding includes $30 million in grants from the federal BIL aimed at helping 30 communities to inventory lead drinking water system service lines.

“The State’s more than $265 million investment announced today will provide local municipalities with the resources they need to design and implement essential water infrastructure improvements statewide,” New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said in a statement. “I applaud Governor Hochul’s sustained, generational investments to improve New York State’s water infrastructure and EFC’s ongoing assistance to small and disadvantaged communities to help address historic inequities, further safeguard public health, benefit the environment, and strengthen local economies.”

The following clean water projects have seen funding approved:

• Town of Bath – $2,580,413 grant and $1,124,789 interest-free financing from BIL; a $1,249,790 WIIA grant from the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act; and $3,798,175 market-rate financing from the CWSRF for the planning, design, and construction of the Lake Salubria collection sewer extension in the town.
• Town of Bellmont – $376,750 interest-free financing from the CWSRF and a $92,250 WIIA grant for the planning, design, and construction of equipment at the Brainardsville Sewer District Wastewater Treatment Facility.
• Village of Brownville – $1,724,500 interest-free financing from the CWSRF and a $275,500 WIIA grant for the planning, design, and construction of effluent disinfection and other improvements at the village’s wastewater treatment plant.
• Buffalo Sewer Authority – $3,333,000 grant and $3,147,000 interest-free financing from BIL for the planning, design, and construction of sewer system real time control sites.
• Village of Catskill – $7,569,500 grant and $3,853,187 interest-free financing from BIL, and a $3,716,313 WIIA grant for the planning, design, and construction of collection system and wastewater treatment plant upgrades to eliminate combined sewer overflows in the village.
• Town of De Kalb – $1,305,500 grant from BIL; $1,250,000 grant, $1,144,500 interest-free and $1,000,000 market-rate financing from the CWSRF; and a $1,250,000 WIIA grant for the planning, design, and construction of wastewater treatment plant and collection system improvements.
• Village of Herkimer – $3,275,200 grant and $2,676,200 interest-free financing from BIL; a $4,997,750 WIIA grant; and a $4,997,750 CWSRF grant for the planning, design, and construction of collection system and wastewater treatment plant upgrades. This project will also be funded with a $4,033,100 Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant.
• Town of Martinsburg – $1,366,200 interest-free and $378,400 market-rate financing from the CWSRF; a $148,814 WIIA grant; and a $106,586 WIIA grant from the Bond Act for the planning, design, and construction of wastewater treatment plant and collection system improvements.
• Town of Moriah – $4,286,498 interest-free and $2,500,000 market-rate financing from the CWSRF, and a $3,577,469 WIIA grant for the planning, design, and construction of collection system upgrades.
• Town of Newfane – $3,401,325 interest-free and $3,401,325 market-rate financing from the CWSRF, and a $1,849,350 WIIA grant for the planning, design, and construction of wastewater treatment plant process upgrades.
• Rensselaer County – $2,240,680 interest-free and $2,240,679 market-rate financing from the CWSRF, and a $307,250 WIIA grant for the planning, design, and construction of wastewater treatment plant improvements.
• Saratoga County – $15,195,476 interest-free and $15,195,476 market-rate financing from the CWSRF, and a $5,087,500 WIIA grant for the planning, design, and construction of wastewater treatment plant ammonia removal upgrades.
• Village of Sodus – $287,953 interest-free and $591,330 market-rate financing from the CWSRF, and a $67,717 WIIA grant from the Bond Act for the planning, design, and construction of disinfection improvements at the wastewater treatment plant.
• City of Syracuse – $3,240,500 grant and $3,240,500 interest-free financing from BIL for the planning, design, and construction of sanitary sewer improvements to reduce inflow and infiltration to the sanitary sewer system.
• Town of Thompson – $6,939,000 grant and $5,337,679 interest-free financing from BIL; $416,800 market-rate financing from the CWSRF; and a $3,363,899 WIIA grant for the planning, design, and construction of upgrades to the Emerald Green Wastewater Treatment Plant.
• Town of Webb – $706,023 interest-free and $1,706,023 market-rate financing from the CWSRF, and a $470,683 WIIA grant for the planning, design, and construction of wastewater treatment plant upgrades.
• Westchester County – $8,120,525 interest-free and $8,120,524 market-rate financing from the CWSRF for the planning, design, and construction of the Peekskill Wastewater Treatment Plant digester, aeration, and heating system.

Funding has alos been approved for the following drinking water projects:

• Town of Alexander – $136,000 WIIA grant for the creation of Water District No. 6, including installation of approximately 94,400 linear feet of water mains, hydrants, valves, and appurtenances.
• Village of Delanson – $236,129 interest-free and $472,258 market-rate financing from the DWSRF, and a $1,060,455 WIIA grant for the installation of new Granular Activated Carbon filters at the water treatment plant for the removal of disinfection byproducts precursors.
• Dix Hills Water District – $3,000,000 WIIA grant for the installation of an Advanced Oxidation Process treatment system for 1,4-dioxane removal and the replacement of Granular Activated Carbon media in the existing vessels.
• City of Glen Cove – $3,000,000 WIIA grant for the design and construction of a new treatment process at the existing water treatment facility at the Duck Pond Road site to remove dichlorofluoromethane (Freon-22) from Wells 30 and 31.
• Village of Hamilton – $2,244,000 WIIA grant for the construction of a new drinking water well source and well house.
• Town of Louisville – $1,409,471 market-rate financing from the DWSRF and a $1,213,215 WIIA grant for the replacement of all five existing aged filters with a new ultrafiltration treatment system, including associated controls and SCADA upgrades at the water treatment plant.
• Village of Marathon – $465,000 WIIA grant for the installation of two water main crossings of the Tioughnioga River and associated appurtenances.
• City of Oneonta – $2,000,000 grant and $3,072,625 interest-free financing from BIL, and a $3,000,000 WIIA grant for upgrades to the water treatment plant and storage and distribution system.
• Town of Scio – $255,000 grant and $765,000 interest-free financing from BIL; $100,000 interest-free and $200,000 market-rate financing from the DWSRF, and a $1,530,000 WIIA grant for the installation of a new water storage tank to replace the existing tank on Davis Hill Road, and replacement of approximately 5,000 linear feet of aged water main, including appurtenant hydrants and valves.
• Village of South Blooming Grove – $1,759,115 interest-free and $3,518,228 market-rate financing from the DWSRF, and a $4,702,657 WIIA grant for the construction of a new pump station at the Mangin Road storage, treatment, and pumping site, construction of a 400,000-gallon elevated steel water storage tank to replace the existing Fort Worth storage tanks, construction of two wells and associated appurtenances, and replacement of approximately one mile of existing water main and appurtenances.
• Town of Vestal – $991,610 WIIA grant for the installation of approximately 3,900 linear feet of new water main, including associated hydrants, valves, and restoration on Old Vestal and Bunn Hill Roads.
• Westbury Water District – $8,976,000 WIIA grant for the design and construction of a new treatment process at the existing water treatment facility to remove nitrate, volatile organic compounds, 1,4-dioxane and perfluorooctanoic acid from Well Nos. 10 and 14.
• Village of Woodridge – $5,000,000 grant and $3,800,000 interest-free financing from BIL for the replacement of water main, construction of a new water storage tank, replacement of the existing slow sand filters with an ultrafiltration system, rehabilitation of the existing sludge settling lagoon, and a new SCADA system.
• City of Yonkers – $2,593,128 WIIA grant for the replacement of approximately 300 linear feet of the Wendover Transmission Main where it crosses below the Saw Mill River Parkway.

State officials say the EFC Board also approved about $30 million for lead service line inventory projects for the following municipalities:

• City of Albany
• Town of Amenia
• City of Auburn
• Village of Bath
• Village of Catskill
• Village of Delhi
• Village of Herkimer
• City of Hudson
• Village of Ilion
• Village of Liberty
• City of Little Falls
• City of Lockport
• Village of Malone
• Village of New Paltz
• City of Newburgh
• City of Niagara Falls
• City of Ogdensburg
• City of Oneonta
• Village of Penn Yan
• City of Port Jervis
• Village of Potsdam
• City of Poughkeepsie
• City of Schenectady
• City of Syracuse
• City of Troy
• Upper Mohawk Valley Water Authority
• Village of Walton
• Village of Warwick
• City of Watervliet
• Village of Westfield

The state says the Board also approved long-term, interest-free financing of over $20 million for projects undertaken by the Town of Rockland, the Village of Tupper Lake and the Water Authority of Great Neck North.